Exploring the humor and peculiarities of the Big Easy

Need a Cure for the Post-Holiday Blues? Move to New Orleans

Annie Drummond

A snowy day in Ohio, a few years ago.

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, was pretty cool. There's the possibility of having a "white Christmas" (which is akin to seeing a unicorn in New Orleans) and it gets pretty damn cold. So it actually feels like what Christmas is supposed to feel like,you know, like in the movies. As a kid, you love the snow. As an adult, lots of people grow to hate it because you have to drive in it, clean it off your car in the mornings, shovel it and deal with it. All you hear is people complaining about it, yammering on and on about it all day.

I was never one of those people (until about Jan. 2). I was always like... yea snow! I'm 12-years-old! Look how puuuurty! I'm gonna take pictures of all the ice and crazy stuff!!

Snow is really cool at Christmas. But after Christmas? It starts wearing out its welcome. January and February are dreary months in the North. It's grey. It snows. It sleets. After New Year's, there is nothing to look forward to except spring. And maybe Valentine's day if you're into that sort of thing (I'm not).

Holidays? GOOD. Post-Holidays? BAAAAD. Here's how the holidays used to go for me:

November: Thanksgiving... A holiday centered around pumpkin pie. Awesome! And pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks! HEAVEN IN A CUP.

December: Birthday (PRESENTS!), Christmas (PRESENTS!)

This house is decorated like how I FEEL during Christmas.

It was like, you'd get addicted to holiday-ness, everyone celebrating, being happy to BE ALIVE, MAN, with Christmas being the climax of seasonal cheer and goodwill towards men.

But after you kiss someone on New Year's Eve, sing "Auld Sang Lyne", drink a bottle of champagne and wake up with the worst headache of your life on Jan. 1... What do you do when you don't have anymore holiday heroin? When there's no more "A Christmas Story" on constant loop anymore... When there's no more cute holiday commericals like the one where Hershey's Kisses play "Carol of the Bells"?

After you drop all of your New Year's resolutions within a week? What do you do?

You get the post-holiday blues, man.

But all of this changed when I moved to New Orleans.

When Christmas decorations come down, the Mardi Gras decorations go right up. Believe it or not, people around here will tell you that it's their favorite time of year, which up North is akin to someone telling you that they love getting the flu.

You barely have enough time to long for the warmth and glee of the holidays because Twelfth Night comes, the beginning of Carnival season. Before you know it, the Krewe du Vieux parade is strolling down the street.

And let me just tell you... that Mardi Gras might just be one day, but people down here celebrate for like, a MONTH leading up to it.

By the time the actual day comes around, you're like... really?! Even MORE DRINKING and MERRYMAKING??!!

So, happy Carnival season! Krewe Du Vieux is coming around the corner and it's time to start overdosing on King Cake. I'm ordering my favorite kind today (apple/goat-cheese from The Cake Cafe).

It's time to look forward to parades and to get excited about catching cheap plastic beads and plastic cups (or fine china). It's time to do a few push ups in order to be ready to pounce on those people trying to catch your shoe at the Muses parade or coconut at Zulu.

So if any of ya'll up North start getting the January/February blues, come down and visit!! New Orleans will cheer you the hell up!

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Exploring the humor and peculiarities of the Big Easy

about

Annie Drummond is a graphic designer and artist from Columbus, Ohio. She has a degree from the Columbus College of Art & Design. Two years ago she made the move from the Midwest to New Orleans' Bywater neighborhood and fell deeply in love as she discovered the rhythms and traditions of her new city. In addition to The Lighter Side, she writes about food, art and design (and other stuff) at www.AnniedelaDolce.com.